I always wanted to be a very good flight photographer but for the most part, dSLR autofocus was not quite up to snuff. Thus, I am grateful to be alive at a time when mirrorless AF technology has made astronomical strides. And, as most of you know, I firmly believe that Sony has led the way and currently offers the very best system for those like me who are passionate about photographing birds. If you enjoy the tips that accompany today’s eight featured flight photographs, you will surely want to purchase a copy of The Complete and Quintessential Guide to Photographing Birds in Flight<\/a><\/em> by Arthur Morris and Arash Hazeghi. Click the link or scroll down for details. <\/p>\n Be sure to click on each image to enlarge it. Study the light, the wing position, and the flight pose. Then leave a comment letting us know which two of today’s flight shots you think are the strongest and why you liked them. <\/p>\n ps: What do you think of the two headless flight shots?<\/p>\n Tuesday was that kind of day. When I arranged Bob Eastman’s flight from Minneapolis to San Diego, I mis-typed his birthday :-(. After driving six hours through freezing rain he made it to the airport. Twice he was red-flagged and sent back out through security. On his third attempt, with his third boarding pass, he finally was able to get on the plane. The good news is that though the plane was a bit late, it did not crash — Bob is deathly afraid of flying. <\/p>\n On Sunday I ordered an iPhone 17+ to be picked up at the Verizon Store in Fashion Valley in San Diego. Easy, right? <\/p>\n I hit the sack at 7:30pm on Monday, woke at 12:30, and could not get back to sleep for a while. I had the alarm set for 3:30am. I finally did fall asleep and woke at 3:00. I noticed that my old iPhone was dead. I put it on the charger but it would not charge. Jim got me to the airport in plenty of time and my flight was uneventful. I met Bob and we picked up a big SUV and drove straight to the Verizon Store. A nice lady named Sandra located my order and my phone and handed it to me, and I was good to go. Almost. <\/p>\n I had gotten online on my laptop and was checking e-mails when an e-mail arrived from Verizon with this Subject line: You have successfully cancelled your order. What??? Nearly two hours later I walked out of the store but my phone would not activate perhaps because of the “cancelled” order. I was only 15 minutes late for my appointment with Dr. Cliff Oliver. We discussed my recent blood work results and best of all, he and his S-O Annie managed to charge my old phone and get my new phone activated. Bob and I had a great dinner at Beaumont’s in Pacific Beach (PB) and by the time I got back to Cliff’s all of my data had downloaded from the cloud. So, a happy ending. <\/p>\n Today is Wednesday 7 January 2026. Bob and I will be headed to La Jolla to check on the cormorants and the pelicans this morning. We pick up multiple IPT veteran and great friend Kevin and his S-O, Colleen, at SAN just before lunch. Kevin’s North Dakota photography friend Nora and her husband Doug (a non-photographer) will be arriving at the AirBnB this afternoon for the first IPT. I will be setting up her brand new a-1 ii and teaching her to use it; that should take about ten minutes. Anyhoo, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day and that you have fun too. Please remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com<\/a> (and as discussed in yesterday’s blog post). <\/p>\n If an item \u2014 a Delkin flash card or reader<\/a>, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro<\/a>, or a Wimberley lens plate <\/a> or low foot<\/a> — for example, that is available from B&H and\/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and\/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation. <\/p>\n Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net<\/a>, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.<\/a>. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up. <\/p>\n This image was created on 30 November 2025 at Sebastian Inlet by yours truly. Standing at full height in the water at Northwest Cove I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod<\/a>\/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro<\/a>-mounted Sony FE 600mm f\/4 GM OSS lens<\/a> and the Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera<\/a>. The exposure was determined by Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: ISO 1600: 1\/4000 second at f\/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:07:12am on a cloudy morning. <\/p>\n Wide\/AF-C with Bird Eye\/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper high-res version.<\/p>\nYour Call?<\/h3>\n
What’s Up?<\/h3>\n
Gear Questions and Advice<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n \n \n \n Image #1: Back Skimmer first winter in flight
\nImage copyright 2025 Arthur Morris\/BIRDS AS ART